Process of producing gas.



Gr. J... WEBER, PROCESS oF PRODUGING G-A's. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9, 1905.

APatented Dec, 20, 1910.

s co., wAsHlNaraNVn: c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

GEORGE J. WEBER, OIE` KANSAS GI-TY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 IOUESA M. WEBER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

VPROCESS OF PRODUCING- GAS.

To allwwm it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J.WEBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Producing Gas, of which the `following is a specication. l

My invention relates to improvements in processes for producing gas.

In carrying out my process the power is produced in an engine of the explosive typel driven by the products of combustion drawn by the engine from a 'gas producer, burning charcoal, wood, coal or coke.

The object of my invention is to provide a process by which the tarry and not easily volatilized substances formed in the gas producer may be decomposed and converted into an explosive compound, thus effecting the`production of a gas of high efficiency for running the engine.

My invention provides a process consisting in forcing air and steam at atmospheric pressure through fuel burning in the gas producer, then superheating the resulting gaseous products to a degree suiiicientto decompose the tarry or heavier gases which are undecomposed in the burning of the fuel.

My invention provides the further step of mixingsteam with the products'during the step of superheating for the purpose ofincreasing the quantity of hydrogen and carbonic-oxid.

My invention provides further, the mixing of both air and steam with the gaseous prod-A ucts during the step of superheating said products.

My invention provides still further, the passing of the superheated products after treatment in contact with the steam, through incandescent carbonaceous material, whereby an additional amount of carbon is added to the gas for uniting with such free air as may reside in the gaseous products to form carbonio oxid.

Other novel features are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings which Y Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

Application led February 9, 1905. Serial No. 244,939.

illustrate an apparatus designed to carry into effect my improved process, Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of the gas producer'and part of the engine connected therewith. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the support for the baiiie plates. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the dotted line a-Zi of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the dotted line c-cl of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the lower part of the fuel reservoir, its lateral wings and the baffle plate support.

Similar characters of reference denote similar parts.

1 denotes the tubular vertical casing of the gas producer, provided with a closed bottom plate 2 and a horizontal top plate 3. In the casing is provided a horizontal transverse plate 4, provided with a central hole and supporting from its lower side the grate bars 5. The interior of the casing 1 is lined preferably with fire brick or clay 6, which is supported upon the plate 4. Intermediate the lining 6 and the casing 1 is a lining 7 composed of a material which is a non-conductor of heat, preferably asbestos or mineral wool. The lining 7 prevents the radiation from the interior of the heat and also protects the metal casing 1 from injury by the heat radiated from the refractory lining 6;y IVithin the casing 1, near the upper end thereof,` is a vertically 4movable transverse horizontal plate 8, which is suspended by means of two vertical bolts 9, which extend through openings provided therefor in the top 3. Two nuts 10, are mounted respectively upon the screw threaded upper ends of the bolts 9 and rest upon the top of the plate 3. The plate 8 is-provided with a central reservoir tube 11 extending vertically downward `from said plate, both ends of said tube 11 being open and in alinement with a centralfuel opening 12, provided in the plate 3. Upon diametrically opposite sides of the reservoir 11, preferably integral therewith, are two vertical wings 13, which extend downward from the plate 8 to a horizontallydisposed ring 14 secured to the lower end of the reservoir 11, said ring being provided with a series of radially disposed horizontal arms 15. Resting upon the arms 15 and vertically movable therewith and with the plate 8 and reservoir 11, are a series of battle plates 16, disposed in a series of layers which are arranged one layer above the other in a criss-cross manner and which serve to subdivide and superheat the gaseous products passing upwardly between them. Upon the upper layer of baffle plates 16, between the wings 13, is placed a mass of carbonaceous u'iaterial 17, which is heated by the baiiie plates and the heat from the burning fuel, to a state of incandescence. The plate 8 is provided above the baHie plates 16, with an upwardly extending tube 18, vertically movable with the plate 8, and extending through a hole provided in the plate The function of the tube 18 is to provide for the insertion or removal therethrough of the plates 16 and the material 17 A cover 19 is used to close the upper end of the tube 18. As there is atendency for coke or coal to run together when exposed to a high heat, and as such action would tend to prevent feeding of the fuel downward through the reservoir 11 an asbestos lining 2O is provided on the side of the reservoir 11 and wings 13 adjacent the baffle plates 16. Upon the diametrically opposite side of the reservoir 11, extending between the ring 14 and the plate 8 and concentric with the reservoir 11, is a vertical curved plate 21. A vertical semi-circular space 22 is provided between the plate 21 and the reservoir 11 for the reception of a cooling fluid, such as water, which may be inserted therein through a vertical tube 23, slidable in a hole through the plate 3 and having its lower end secured in a hole provided in the plate 8 at a point directly above the space 22. Air is supplied to the interior of the casing 1 through an opening in the wall thereof below the grate bars 5. A closure 2st pivoted to the casing 1, may be employed to close the said opening when desired.

25 denotes a steam conductor leading from any suitable boiler, not shown, to and through the casing 1, at a point lower than the grate bars A valve 26 may be emplo-yed to regulate the supply of steam introduced into the producer below the grate bars.

27 denotes a conductor leading upward from the conductor 25 and provided with two discharge outlets 28 and 29 respectively, disposed one above the other, and extending through the wasing 1 and linings 6 and 7. The lower outlet 29 is disposed preferably opposite the plates 16 and the upper outlet 28 opposite the material 17. Two valves 30 and 31 control respectively the passage of steam through the outlet pipes 28 and 29. Located intermediate the pipes 28 and 29 and extending through the casing 1 and linings 6 and 7, is an air inlet pipe 32, provided with a valve 33 for controlling the admission of air therethrough.

34 denotes the cylinder of an ordinary explosive engine and 35 the piston located therein. A conductor 36 is connected at one end of the cylinder 34 and at the other end above the carbonaceous material 17, with the gas producer. The conductor 36 is provided adjacent the cylinder 34 with a tubular air inlet arm 37, provided with a valve 38, by which the regulation of air to be mixed with the producer gas, is obtained.

1n operating my invention the fuel is inserted through the opening 12 and reservoir 11 and deposited upon the grate 5. The closure 24 is then opened and the fuel ignited. After a suitable combustion has been effected steam is admitted through the conductor 25 past the valve 26. r1`he engine pisto-n 35 is then utilized to draw by suction into the engine cylinder 34 through the conductor 36, the gaseous products of combus tion. The said products in burning will heat the battle plates 16 and carbonaceous material 17 resting thereon, to a state of incandescence, which is a degree of heat su'tiiciently high to decompose the heavier or tarry gases undecomposed in the burning of the fuel at atmospheric pressure. After the batiie plates 16 and the material 17 have been heated to a state of incandescence the valves 30, 31 and 33 may be regulated so as to admit air and steam in the proper proportions to combine with the superheated gaseous products. The steam through the pipe 29 will pass between the outer baliie plates and the refractory lining 6 and become super'- heated thereby and be readily decomposed into hydrogen and oxygen, the oxygen unit* ing with the unburnt carbon of the gaseous products to form carbonio oxid and carbonio acid gas. The air entering through the inlet pipe 32 will have its oxygen unite with the carbon of the material 17 to form a gas which is principally carbonio oxid. The gas from the producer now passes through the conductor 36 and mixes with air drawn through the inlet 37 after which it passes into the cylinder 34, in which the mixture is exploded in the ordinary manner, thus producing power for driving the piston 1n order that the greatest relative quantity of carbonio oxid may be produced from any kind of fuel burned in the producer the depth of the ignited portion of the fuel must be regulated to suit the particular nature of fuel employed, certain fuel producing relatively more carbonio oxid than carbonio acid gas when the depth of ignited fuel is a certain amount than when such depth is more or less. To obtain the greatest relative supply of carbonio oxid, for a certain fuel, the

nuts 10 are adjusted on the rods 9 so as to raise or lower the reservoir 1l to the proper ing the mixture through burning fuel into distance above the grate bars 5. This diswhich a fresh supply of steam is being sitance may be ascertained by trial. multaneously discharged. f

Having thus described my inVention,what In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature 5 I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patin presence of two witnesses.

ent, isc- The process consisting in forcing air and GEORGE J' WEBER' steam through burning fuel, then passing the Witnesses: resultant gaseous products into contactwith WARREN D. HOUSE,

10 e fresh supply ofair and steam, then pass- HENRY F. ROSE. 

